Block-mold



A. S. TANNER.

BLbcK MOLD. APPUCATION FILED MAR. 81 1920- Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

INVENTDR: A S. TANJYER PATENT OFFECE.

ALBERT S. TANNER, OF MASON CITY, IOWA.

BLOCK-MOLD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ct. 12, 1920.

Application filed March 8. 1920. Serial No. 364,283.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALnnnr S. TANNER, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Mason City, Cerro Gordo county, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Block-Molds. of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for block molds of the sectional or knock-down type.

A further object of this invention is to provide, in each unit of an assembly of block molds, means for molding a transverse lug or rib in and substantially centrally of longitudinal top and bottom grooves of a building block.

A further object of this invention is to provide, in each unit of an assembly of block molds, means for interlocking end and partition gates with side mold members, whereby the upper margins of said gates and members are brought into and retained in a common horizontal plane during the operation of pouring concrete into said molds.

A further object of this invention is to provide means susceptible of interchangeable use as end and partition gates.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan showing a series of my improved molds assembled in position for practical use. Fig. 2 is" an end elevation of one mold unit and part of another adjacent thereto assembled for use. Fig. 3 is an elevation'of the inner face of one of the side mold members. Fig. 4: is an isometric projection of a building block susceptible of being molded in my improved assembly.

This invention relates to and is an improvement on the invention illustrated, described and claimed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,235,858, granted to me August 7, 1917. p

In the construction of the device as shown the numeral 10 designates a stationary or movable platform. A guide or straightedge 11, preferably formed of angle-iron, is mounted on and fixed to the platform or base 10 and extends parallel with and ad jacent to one of the sides thereof. A series of the molds are designed to be mounted loosely on the platform or base plate 10 in any desired and suitable number, said platform or base plate forming the bottoms of the molds. A plurality of side mold members 12 are provided, said side members preferably being formed of sheet metal and provided with inwardly projecting integral core members 13 formed thereon and extending substantially the full length thereof and notched and slotted as hereinafter set forth. The side mold members 12 are adapted to extend transversely of the platform or base plate 10 and have one each of their ends contacting and positioned by the guide 11. The side members 12 for each mold or row of molds are spaced apart a distance equal to the width of the block to be formed, with their core members 13 directed inwardly toward one another, as shown, said core members 13 preferably being substantially trapezoidal in cross-section and located substantially centrally on each mold member, whereby to form a block (Fig. 1) substantially I-shaped in cross-section. The side mold members 13 may be of any desired length to form a row consisting of any desired number of mold compartments transversely of the platform or base plate 10, and in practice it has been found to be convenient to make said, side members of such length as to form three mold compartments, as the operator conveniently can reach across and attend to an assembly of such dimension. Each core member 13 is formed with transverse slots 14, which slots do not extend entirely to the base of said core member or to the plane of the adjacent face of the mold member 12. Two of the slots 14 are located adjacent to and spaced from the ends of each core member 13 and others of said slots, in this instance two in number, are located intermediate of the first two (or end) slots and are spaced apart and from the end slots distances corresponding to thelength of the blocks to be molded. End and partition gates 15 are provided in numbers, alike in construction, and any one of them may be employed to form either end of each mold series, being inserted slidingly and by vertical manual movement in registering end-slots 14 of the opposing core members 13 of each mold or row of mold compartments. Also any one of the gates 15 may be employed to form a partition between adjacent mold compartments in a series, being inserted slidingly and by vertical manual movement in registering intermediate slots lof the core members 13.

end ofthe block '(Fig. 4E). by the. lugs or 'core members 18, 19, make it convenient to carry ,away'the blocks, in partially-cured or with closed ends and upper Each end and partition gate preferably is formed of sheet metal of substantially the same length and heightas the cross-section of the block to be molded, except that they are rectangular and notched and do not eonform to the contour of'the block to be formed. Each end and partition gate-15 preferably is formed with two notches 16,

core members in assembling and clamping together the parts as hereinafter described. The top and bottom walls of the core members 13 are inclined and the notches 16,17 are I square; and in the clamping operation they coact to locate the'gates and side members with the upper margins thereof in the same horizontal plane and in flush relation. Each end'and partition gate 15 preferably is provided with two lugs or core members 18, 19, one on each side and alike in form and construction. Each core member'or lug 1.8, 19, preferably is formed of sheet metal, is substantially trapezoidal in cross-section and lower flanges 20, 21. The core members or lugs 18, 19 are placed on opposite sides of and with their'backs to the gate and are secured thereto and to each other by rivets It is the function of the lugs or core members 18, 19 to form horizontal grooves in and transversely of the ends of the web of each block during the operation of molding, and, to that end, the ends of the lugs abut the inner faces of the core members 13 when the parts are assembled and clamped together. The rivets 22 extend through the gate andflanges of the lugs or core members 18, -19.v The'lugs or core "members 18,

'19 are locatedsubstantially centrally of the faces of the gates, being in the same relation to the top and bottom marginsof the gates as are the core .members 13 to the top and bottom; margins of the side mold members 12. The grooves formed at each set condition, manually. without any auxiliary supports such as often is provided by pallets. The grooves so formed in the web,

ateach end of ithe block, also provide con- 'V6I116I1t hand-holds for a workman'engaged in laying the blocks to form a wall, there being suflicient space for the hands of the 'workman between the block being handled and an adjacent block already placed. A plurality of notches 23 of tapering form are provided 1n each core member 18 and said notches are provided with lining walls 24, extend transversely of and are of less :depth than said core members. Two notches function of the lugs or ribs 25 to strengthen the blocks against breakage through the webs when handled in green condition and when built into a wall and subjected to strains. Any desired numberof units, composed of two side mold members 12 with their complement of end and partition gates 15, may be mounted insuccessive contact on the platform or base plate 10 and be lined againstthe guide 11 to form any desired number of parallel rows of mold compartments, five such rows and parts of two others being here shown, thereby forming fifteen compartments and. indicating the indefinite expansion thereof in any-assembly. Adjacent members 12, of contiguous units or rows of mold compartments, contact back to back without interposed braces orstrips. Frameextreme, or outside, side moldmembers 12, said cross-heads preferably being formed of pieces of planking of the same lengthand width as said side members. Uprights 28, 29are fixed'to andrise from central locations adjacent the ends of the platform or base plate 10 and screws 30, 81are threaded through said uprights, said screws being provided .attheir outer ends with hand wheels 32, 33 or other suitable 'means for manual operation. Theinner ends of the screws30, 31 are adapted to engage and exert pressure on the cross -heads-26, 27 to the end of drawing compactly together and clamping compactly all of the mold members so that the mold compartments shall be of uniform width, asdesigned to be, prior to pouring concrete therein, 7 v V In practical use, the mold members-are assembled as shown anddescribed and wet or slushy concrete mixture is pourefdiinto the open tops of the several compartments, and said mixture flows beneath and fills the spaces underthe core members and within the notches 23 and entirely fills each mold compartment without voids. The: mold members are securely I held in V assembled position'by the-screws 30, 31 until the-blocks have-set to desired extent, twentyfour hours usually being suflicienttime for such setting.- Then the mold members may. be :re-

' pieces or cross-heads 26, 27 are mounted out- 'side of and in contact with the backs of the leased by manual withdrawal of the screws 7 30, 31 and the side members, gates and set or partially-hardened blocks be removed stored for further curing and hardening. No pallets are necessary, as the platform or base plate 10 forms the bottom for all of the molds and compartments thereof; but pallets may be employed if desired.

1 claim as my invention 1. In a multimolding concrete block as sembly having a platform, a guide thereon, a plurality of molds or series of mold com partments arranged in parallel relation and contacting successively back to back loosely on said platform and contacting at one end each with said guide, cross-heads mounted loosely parallel with each other outside oi the assembly of molds and abutting the guide at one end each, upri hts located in opposition to each other centrally of the width of and rising from the platform and spaced from the cross-heads on the sides thereof distant from the collocation of molds, screws mounted in alinement with each other in said uprights and adapted to engage said cross-heads, each of the molds comprising side members having integral ofl'set longitudinal core members, and end and partition gates arranged transversely of the mold compartments and engaging said side and core members; the core members being formed with transverse slots of less depth than the core members, and the gates being formed with notches coacting with the core members at the bases of said slots.

2. In a concrete-block-molding assembly, a mold unit comprising side members having integral longitudinal core members each of which is formed with transverse slots of less depth than the core members and also formed with walled notches intermediate of the slots and of less depth than said core members, and end and partition gates arranged in spaced relation between said side members and having their side margins within said slots, said gates being formed with notches adapted to receive and interlock with the core members at the bases of said slots.

3. A device according to claim 1 and distinguished in this, that the core members are formed with transverse walled notches intermediate of the slots and of less depth than the core members, whereby transverse ribs may be molded integrally with a block and the web thereof in one operation.

4. A device according to claim-2 and distinguished in this, that each gate is formed with transverse core members on opposite faces and substantially centrally thereof, said gates being usable interchangeably at ends and intermediate of the ends of mold units.

Signed at Mason City, in the county of Cerro Gordo and State of Iowa, this 10th day 01": January, 1920.

" ALBERT S. TANNER. 

